Electronic design automation (EDA) tools are special purpose processors which execute programs used for designing electronic circuits such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits (IC). Modern EDA tools provide a suite of applications that chip designers use to design, simulate, analyze, and verify semiconductor chips, and create a GDSII bit stream suitable for inputting to the photomask generation process.
The designers create functional circuit designs that may be expressed in a technology independent gate-level hardware description language (HDL), such as Verilog. A logic synthesis program converts the HDL design into a standard netlist format. The design is provided to a place and route tool.
Some EDA tools provide the capability to identify components in an IC design that can be replaced with reusable circuit components, such as elemental cells or more complex macros, which are functionally equivalent to the component being replaced. For example, the EDA tool vendor or a third party may provide an “IP Library” of standard cell designs, and the tool may permit individual users to create their own templates. Improved use of reusable components reduces the total design and verification cycle.